


Deserving More

by daisydoodle17



Category: Original Work
Genre: Original Character(s), Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-11-02 03:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20605640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisydoodle17/pseuds/daisydoodle17
Summary: Ben is a member of a ruthless gang of highwaymen in the northern-most mountain range of Multan, a series of interconnected communities without laws or accountability. He lost his memory in an attack that killed his older brother years ago, but has found a place for himself with the help of his friend Adrian. During a job one night, Ben encounters a strange woman who hands him an old map and tells him to find his family with it. With the reluctant help of Adrian and Olli, a spy and assassin with a mysterious past who may know more about Ben's past than she lets on, Ben must make his way through the dangerous landscape of Multan to find the truth about his past and his family.





	1. Prologue

"You sound absolutely mad, Jean," Saul said tiredly. 

He dragged a hand through his black hair, making the curls stand on end as he looked at his friend and longtime mentor, who at the moment was frantically pulling possessions out of his trunk. Saul dodged a flying pair of pants as they sailed right towards his head.

"Enough! Jean, stop and explain this, you expect me to just believe that you've been involved with Wini for months? I know you couldn't possibly be that stupid. You know the rules, you taught them to me!"

At the raised tone of Saul's voice, Jean abruptly stopped and looked directly at his younger friend. Over the years, Saul had blossomed into a good man, with a steady spirit and a loyal heart. And good judgement, Jean thought wryly, his own had seemed to be steadily disappearing throughout the years. It was not fair the burden that he was about to put on Saul, he owed him a thorough explanation.

Jean glanced quickly out the thick glass window of the apartment they two of them shared in the small village of Mineral Springs. The lights steadily coming down the mountain were still a good distance away; he had some time.

"Wini is a wonderful person," Jean started, sitting down on Saul's bed next to him. "Caswell had me look after her and show her around the town the last time he brought the kids down here. We got to know each other some, it turns out she's nothing like her father."

Caswell was the larger than life figure who ran the group in The Spire at the entrance of the mountain range that bordered the northern border of Multan. He and his group, made up of family, friends close enough to be family, and slaves, were known to roam Multan stealing trade cargo and also had strong influence in the closest mining villages. In his words, he protected the miners and their families and they paid him a small fee for doing so. In everyone else's minds, he terrorized them and the money they gave The Spire was a small price to pay to keep the group docile. 

In addition to collecting a set cut of all earnings that the villages made, Caswell had a set of rules they had to follow to maintain peace. One of the most important one was that no villager was allowed to get close to any of his group in The Spire, especially not his children. The last time that had happened, he had promptly executed the woman who had been lending one of his sons books to read. Wini was Caswell's oldest daughter, and it was clear to everyone that he wanted her to one day lead the Spires. There was no way Caswell would be very pleased with her spending time with a simple miner.

Saul's eyes welled with tears as he realized that Jean was telling the truth. He knew that this was not a situation that could result in leniency for Jean. Caswell would execute him with no questions or explanations. 

"Jean, if we hurry, we can get out of here before the Spires get down here," Saul pleaded. "They're still a while away from here."

Jean shook his head with a small smile. "Saul, I would never do that to you. You know that they would find us and when they did, it would be a death sentence for you as well. I knew the rules."

Saul went to protest again, but Jean cut him off with a wave of his hand. 

"I need you to pay attention now. I have something that I need to tell you and I need to make sure you understand what you need to do."

Saul's teary eyes filled with confusion as Jean pulled over a small table and smoothed an old, yellowed piece of thick parchment over the surface. It was clear that it was a detailed map of Multan, even though it was aged, the black ink was still crisp and clear.

Even in a poor village like Mineral Springs, the children were taught the basics of the topology of Multan and Saul instantly recognized the northern mountain range where he had lived all his life and the vast forest separating them from Port Melanson, the major trading post where all of the northern goods were funneled into the rest of the land. Port Melanson sat on the northern bank of Lake Gota, which was where Saul's experience in Multan stopped. The rest of the southern part of the land was mostly unknown to him - save for the stories of the few travelers he had encountered.

Jean pulled the map up on the small table, so that they could focus on the bottom of the page, which detailed the southern portion. Saul's eyes drank in the details of the Port of Gold, the southern trading post on the sea and the islands that dotted the water. Even the travelers he had met had never ventured past the Port of Gold, though they had certainly brought back many myths and legends about their inhabitants. 

Finally, at the very bottom edge of the map, the Caorca Split was drawn, its ragged edges an ugly gash in the middle of the southern sea. Saul had never seen it shown in maps before and had definitely never seen or even heard of the land mass that was drawn on the other side of the gorge. It was unlabeled, with just a message inscribed on it "For you, who deserves more".

Finished examining the map, Saul raised his eyes to meet Jean's. He was full of questions and didn't understand what Jean was trying to communicate to him.

Jean, who had quietly sat and allowed Saul to study the map without interruption, finally spoke.

"You remember what I taught you about the Reformer Revolution, right?"

Saul nodded, succinctly reciting the history that Jean had taken the time to teach him, late nights spent together after their mining shifts. At the time, it had made the young orphan feel odd, the ability to read, write, and understand the history of Multan were not skills that were appreciated in Mineral Springs. But as he grew, he appreciated those times and Jean grew to be his family. 

"The Reformer Revolution was caused by the citizens of Port Dugas, who wanted to unify all of Multan under a system of laws and standards, instead of allowing everyone the freedom to do as they wished."

Saul couldn't help but feel that they were wasting a lot of time discussing the revolution. Barely anyone even spoke about it anymore. It was bloody, but ultimately brief, and the only seemingly lasting impact was that Port Melanson was the singular northern trading mecca, instead of sharing the business with Port Dugas. The Port Dugas merchants and their families went on the run when they found that Multan was in strong opposition to their plans and had fled to Port of Gold, who had declined to get involved. The story ended with them fleeing into the southern sea from the united forces of Port Melanson and The Spire, never seen again. 

"That is the safe version of the story," Jean said wryly. "It wasn't safe for you to know different before, but now you need to understand."

Jean glanced quickly at the window, the lights were steadily advancing towards Mineral Springs, but they still had some time. He re-focused on the map in front of them and pointed at the southern islands.

"The families from Port Dugas did not just disappear here," he explained. "They were able to find assistance with the islanders and after some time, made it all the way over here." 

Jean's finger slid across the sea, past Caorca Split, and over to the land mass on the other side. 

"They settled on this land, which was uninhabited, and created a new civilization," Jean continued, pointing at the inscription on the map. 

Jean paused and let Saul express his disbelief. 

"Across the Caorca Split? Jean, that's not possible. No one is even known to have made it back from the islands before! Especially without help from Port of Gold!"

Jean smiled at him, his kind brown eyes still had a mischievous twinkle, even facing imminent death. 

Saul abruptly changed the subject, "This map is great Jean, but we need to focus on getting you out of here. There's still time."

Jean waved him away, "Saul, I'm not running. This is my time, I feel it. I've had a better life than I ever thought I would, anyway." He gently laid his hand on top of Saul's and Saul felt his eyes tear up once more at the thought of losing his only family.

Jean continued, "I need you to focus and trust me, Saul."

Just as he had always done, Saul decided to trust Jean and his judgement. He turned his attention back to the map.

With a pat on Saul's hand, Jean finished his tale. 

"Port Dugas saw the problems that Multan continually faces. The poverty, inequality, the back-breaking work that so many families have to accept in order to survive. They wanted to share their ideas and inventions they had been developing with everyone without fear of crime or violence. Unfortunately, with the influence of Port Melanson and The Spire, the rest of the citizens didn't see the benefit of these systems. The families who made it out of Port Dugas were able to make it across the islands and Caorca Split and found safety. They made a new city and named it Culmination, because they were able to put their ideas into practice there."

Jean pointed at an ornately drawn star on the map.

Saul had to ask the obvious question, "How do you know all this?"

Jean flashed a smile at him, "That's where I'm from. My parents were in the original group of Port Dugas families."

"And if Culmination is so great, why did you decide to live your whole life in Multan?" Saul couldn't help his slightly salty tone. In Multan, it was practically drilled into them that complete freedom was a blessing that they owed to the groups in Port Melanson and The Spire for going against the revolution.

"The people of Culmination never blamed the people of Multan for chasing them away. After establishing the city, they sent a few of us with maps and instructions on how to safely cross Caorca. We were to use our judgement and understanding of Culmination to find Multan citizens who could come back with us," Jean replied.

"And I'm assuming you never found anyone?" Saul asked.

"Well, maybe I've been a bit conservative. I didn't want to be the person to bring someone back who would maybe turn on us," Jean explained. "Plus, I found myself sort of enjoying the lack of structure here, it turns out I enjoy getting into a little trouble." He grinned again. 

Saul took a minute to consider everything that had just been explained to him. He knew he should be skeptical of Jean's wild tale, but this was the man who had practically raised him. He had taught him and kept him safe all these years, why would any of that change now?

"So say that I believe everything you just said," he said carefully. "What does that have to do with me?"

Jean nodded, suddenly solemn. "I'm about to die Saul, very soon. I still believe in the job that I was sent here for. I want you to take the map and either go to Culmination yourself of keep searching for people who would flourish there. It's a wonderful place for curious minds who want to dream bigger than what we have here. In fact, I think you would do great things there."

Saul sat quietly, absorbing that if Jean was telling the truth, he was trusting him with his families lives in Culmination. If he sent the wrong person over there, it could end tragically. 

He looked up at Jean, "I won't tell anyone about this, unless I know they would believe it and be good addition to your family. You can trust me."

Jean smiled at him, tears sprung to his eyes as well, "That was never a question, Saul."

The two men sat for several minutes in companionable silence, enjoying their last time together. The silence was soon broken by the sound of a ruckus wafting through the wooden walls and old windows of their apartment. Caswell and the Spires had arrived in Mineral Springs. Jean calmly stood up, lifted the map carefully from the table, folded it, and put it in the drawer of Saul's tiny desk. 

"I'm going down there, Saul," he said in a low voice. "I have some dignity left, I don't need to be dragged out of here."

Saul stood too, his limbs trembling. 

Jean embraced him, "You have been family to me here, Saul. Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too, Jean. I'll see you again, I know it," Saul replied fiercely.

As the sound of breaking glass moved closer to their apartment building, Jean released Saul and turned to go meet Caswell and his fate.

Saul watched him leave for the last time, holding in his emotions to make it easier for Jean. He lasted until he heard Jean make it down the flight of old creaky stairs of their building before collapsing into sobs on the floor. 

In the years that followed, Saul met the woman who would become his wife and the mother of his children. He never revealed Jean's secret and he never made it to Culmination himself, choosing instead to raise his family in Mineral Springs. In Jean's memory, he taught them to read, write, and the correct history of Multan. And sometimes, at night when he couldn't sleep, he would bring out Jean's map and the drawing that a local artist had done of the two of them and wonder if he would ever find someone worthy to continue Jean's mission.


	2. Chapter 1

_Ben_

Ben took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air as he prepared himself to enter the small village of Mineral Springs. Adrian and Simon were slightly ahead of him, discussing the finer details of how they were to complete their job, but Ben didn't really care enough about it to join them. Adrian had told him earlier that they were there to collect on a payment due to the Spire, that was all he really cared to know. His job was just to be silently intimidating anyway, which suited him just fine. 

The three Spires continued their trek down the side of the mountain where their stronghold was perched overlooking the valley down below. It only took a couple hours of hard hiking to get to Mineral Springs, but the time felt much shorter to Ben. He hated these jobs and the casual way they were executed, a lot of times literally. 

Ben decided to focus on at least enjoying the walk. The air surrounding them was clean and smelled of pine and the weather was finally warming up enough for most of the snow to have melted. Small patches of bright green grass poked through the stones beneath his feet. In the distance, Ben could hear the sound of a slow moving river. He knew from experience that the turquoise water was clear enough to see the brightly colored pebbles underneath. Ben knew absolutely nothing outside of their area of Multan, but he strongly doubted anywhere could compare with the scenery they were blessed to be surrounded by.

After some time, Adrian and Simon seemed to realize that they were currently losing the third member of their group. They had stopped further up the path to wait for him. Simon merely looked bored, but Adrian had an annoyed look spread across his face. Ben gave him an apologetic smile and quickened his pace to catch up. He knew his best, and only, friend couldn't stay angry with him for very long.

"Keep up or we're going to be late for our drop-off time," Adrian scolded him, pushing his tight blond curls over his shoulders impatiently. Caswell, for generations the leader of the Spires had decided to go by the original Caswell's name, had strict rules about behavior during jobs. There was not to be any wasted time, and he was meticulous at knowing how long each outing should take. Any shorter or longer meant for a session of questioning to determine what went on. Adrian prided himself in never having had one of these interrogations.

Ben caught up with the other two and saw that they were at the end of the trail to Mineral Springs. The main circle in the village was just a short distance away. He looked down at Adrian and Simon, waiting for instructions.

"This should be easy," Simon spoke to him for the first time all day, his voice perpetually bored. "It's just an old man and his daughter living in the house. We just go in, let them know that Caswell is aware that they're hiding some of their profits from him, and collect the penalty. If they fight, you know what we'll have to do." A slow, slimy smile worked its way across his pale face and his bright blue eyes had a dangerous glint to them. Ben hated going out on jobs with Simon, they somehow always ended in violence.

Ben's face must have given away his disgust, because Adrian quickly jumped in. 

"You don't have to do anything, Ben," he said quietly. "Just make sure they can't get out the door before we get the payment."

Ben nodded, understanding his role completely. His taller than average height and broad shoulders were perfect to block a doorway and intimidated most of the villagers enough to give in without a fight. 

"I'm good," he reassured the two of them, three years on and he was still considered to be on a probationary status with the Spires. 

The three of them strode confidently into the village. There hadn't been any resistance in Mineral Springs for many years now, they all knew that this would be an easy job that would let them be home early enough to stop for a drink at the tavern before the Spire shut down for the night. 

As Ben looked over Mineral Springs, he was shocked at how it had deteriorated since his last visit, less than one year ago. The tall wooden buildings that housed the villagers never looked particularly stable, but now it looked like a strong wind could knock them all over. More windows appeared to be broken than functional. At this point, there was no possibility that they could survive another winter season. 

The miners were just getting home from their work day, groups of dirt-covered men and women trudged wearily into their homes. Ben could hear the creaks of the doors and stairs from all sides. A few children played quietly in the main circle, throwing a ball back and forth. Ben couldn't believe how thin they all looked, he knew it had been a harsh winter for everyone up north, but it looked like the villagers of Mineral Springs were on the brink of starvation. If the villagers saw them, they gave no indication, continuing with their activities as if in a daze.

Ben glanced at Simon and Adrian. As per usual, Simon looked bored, but he could see the tightness around Adrian's eyes and mouth that indicated concern. 

No amount of concern or empathy was going to stop Adrian from fulfilling his assignment though. 

"It's here," he gestured to a building just off of the main circle. Its wooden walls and yellowed windows were just as ragged as the homes around it, although this building didn't have floors stacked above in perilously balanced towers like the others. It had one extra room perched on top of a small rectangular base. One door and three windows total, two on the ground floor. Ben had been with the Spires long enough to know to always scope out entrances and exits. 

Without pausing, Simon burst through the front door of the home, the fragile door folding in on itself with his determined kick. 

Adrian followed closely behind Simon and Ben stayed behind to block the doorway, happily out of the way. 

An old man was sitting calmly at a long table, reading a thick book and drinking a mug of tea. The smell of peppermint was in the air mixed with cobwebs and dust. He looked up slowly at the three of them, as if unconcerned, and Ben saw his eyes search for and take in the burned Spire brands on the backs of all of their hands. The man closed his book and ran a hand through his curling hair, making it stick up at all angles. 

"I figured that disgusting man would figure it out eventually," he addressed the three Spires. "We're starving here, cannot even feed our children, and still he takes from us." The man shook his head sadly. Ben felt a pang of guilt run through his body and he fought his instinct to run right out the door.

The man focused his large, brown eyes on Adrian. "How much do I owe him?"

Adrian's face was tight and he gathered his hair back tightly in one hand, a nervous habit that Ben instantly recognized. It seemed like Simon was the only one immune to how wrong this assignment seemed. 

Just as Adrian opened his mouth to tell the man his payment details, a creaking sound wafted down from the room upstairs. The noise made Adrian lose whatever sympathy he was feeling towards the old man and he jerked his head towards the staircase at the back of the room. The home was silent and only consisted of one room, so they all had assumed that the old man was alone and could be dealt with efficiently on his own. 

The creak made them all realize that there was still potential danger, even in a place like Mineral Springs.

Simon rubbed his hands together and a predatory smile lit up his face as he immediately started towards the stairs. Adrian caught the look on his face and raised a hand to stop him. 

"No, Ben will go," he said firmly.

Ben started sharply at the sound of his name, but took in the serious look in Adrian's honey colored eyes, and knew it was better that he go up and confront the man's daughter than send Simon up after her.

Simon looked like he was about to argue with Adrian, but Ben made a point to walk directly in his path and push him back from the stairwell, making it clear that he would enforce Adrian's order. The last thing Ben saw as he made his way upstairs was Simon drawing out his long, curved knife from his belt and approaching the table where the old man still sat. As he turned the corner and approached the upstairs landing, he hoped fervently that Adrian would keep the situation calm downstairs.

Ben knocked once and opened the door to the single room upstairs. A small bed piled high with threadbare blankets, an old leather trunk, and a practically ancient wooden desk made up the furnishings. A woman, maybe ten years older than him, sat perched on the bed. Her large brown eyes and curly black hair clearly indicated that she was the old man's daughter. 

The woman took in Ben's size and her eyes widened. He opened his mouth to begin explaining why he was there when a loud crash was heard from downstairs. 

"Louisa, run!," the old man's voice suddenly yelled from below. "Take it and run!"

Ben could feel the prickly sting of pepper powder in his nostrils and eyes. It seemed like the old man had decided to fight after all. Coughing, he slammed the door shut behind him. Certainly Simon and Adrian could handle one elderly starved man.

Wiping his eyes to clear the slight burning, he looked over to the bed. The woman, Louisa, was off the bed and frantically rifling through the contents of the desk. When she noticed him looking, she froze and moved the papers she was holding behind her back.

"I don't have any money up here," she said in a low voice. Briefly, a thought popped in Ben's head that this family had a real knack for staying calm under pressure. He didn't detect any of the normal panicked behavior. 

"It's fine," Ben responded. "I don't want any of it anyway, keep whatever you have. Let's just figure out a way that we can slip you out of here." 

Louisa's looked at him in surprise and then sharply moved her eyes to inspect the burns on the back of his hands. 

"You're Spire, right?" she scoffed. "Of course you want what I have."

He understood her skepticism. It had happened all the other times he was able to sneak some kindness or leniency into his assignments. 

Ben kept direct eye contact with Louisa, hoping that it wouldn't take long to convince her to trust him. He knew it probably wouldn't be too long before Simon would be up to investigate and would no doubt take whatever precious item she and her father were so keen to keep.

"Really, I don't," Ben kept his voice equally calm and low. "If your father downstairs pays the fee, those other two guys won't search up here when I tell them the room was empty."

Ben walked softly to the only window in the room and opened it gently. He surveyed the ground underneath. It would be a jump, but if Louisa was careful, she wouldn't be at risk of breaking anything. And he could lower her part of the way down with one of those blankets on the bed.

He turned to Louisa to explain the plan to her when they heard more shouting from downstairs and what sounded like furniture being thrown. The two of them stayed silent as the shouting continued for just another moment and then abruptly died down. Ben swore under his breath, recognizing what had happened, and crept back over to the bedroom door. He cracked it open, anticipating Simon's shout.

"Ben, this old guy was insane! He tried to blind us and then he threw all his shit at us!"

There was a pause where no one said anything. Louisa crouched by the window, eyes huge in her thin face, and Ben wracked his brain frantically for a way to stall Simon and Adrian from venturing upstairs.

"What's up there?" Adrian's softer voice broke the silence. "Anything worth our time? There's no saving this guy down here."

Ben shivered as he heard the sound of someone kicking over a body. Louisa turned pale and covered her mouth with her hands, eyes welling with tears. Ben collected himself. 

"Nothing much, bedroom stuff mostly," he called down, carefully keeping his voice casual. "I'm just quickly going through to see if there's anything worth taking back to the Spire. Be down in a minute."

Ben could hear Simon and Adrian pulling out drawers, no doubt searching for anything of value now that the home's sole occupant was out of the way. They didn't say anything back to him, indicating that they would leave him alone, for now.

Turning back to Louisa, Ben gathered a blanket from the bed, and carried it over to her. 

"I will lower you down with this as much as possible, but then you'll have to jump," he explained.

Louisa was studying a piece of paper clutched in her shaking hand, her brow furrowed in concentration. At the sound of Ben's voice, she snapped back to attention and cast her eyes all over the features of his face. 

Suddenly, her face broke out into a wide grin, and she gathered the bunch of papers she was hiding behind her back and thrust them out towards Ben.

"You must take this," she whispered to him. "Find your family."


	3. Chapter 2

Ben stopped in his tracks, a million questions whirling through his mind. Why would this woman he had never encountered before say that to him? How did she know that he had no idea where he came from? And what information did she have in the packet of papers she was shoving into his chest?

"Take this, quickly. Do not show them to anyone." Louisa urged again, her voice was losing some of the calmness she had demonstrated earlier.

As Ben raised a hand to grasp the pile of papers, creaking came from the stairs. Someone was coming. Ben could only hope it was Adrian instead of the volatile Simon. 

Of course, Ben's luck was consistent and Simon's voice drawled, "What are you doing up there for so long? Taking a nap?"

Ben and Louisa had seconds to act. There would be no time to ask her questions, they had to get her out the window and the papers hidden.

Ben grabbed the papers and shoved them in his pack, hoping that any information they held wasn't damaged from his rough treatment. Louisa smiled at him and appeared relieved. Ben hurried her towards the window. 

Unfortunately, their time ran out. Simon landed at the top of the stairs and pushed the door fully open so forcefully that it crashed into the wall. The furious expression on his face was made even more intense by the red eyes caused by the pepper powder. 

"What is this, Ben?" he snarled. "Made yourself a friend?"

Ben frantically raced to find an explanation. Simon would report his mistake to Caswell as soon as they returned and he needed to have a look at the bundle of papers before anyone else examined them.

Seconds ticked by until Louisa's voice broke the silence.

"I was hiding," she lied quietly. "I was just scared when I heard you all come in the door."

Ben glanced at her quickly and her eyes silently pleaded with him to allow her to cover for him. He turned back to Simon and nodded to confirm her story. 

"I should have checked under the bed," he added. "There's nothing up here anyway, we might as well get out of here."

Briefly, Ben actually thought that the situation was resolved. He should have known better by now.

"Yes, you should have known better," Simon hissed at him before rounding on Louisa. 

"Apparently Mineral Springs needs another lesson. You don't steal from the Spire and you don't hide from the Spires," he spat at her as she backed away from him.

Louisa was being pushed closer and closer to the opened window. Ben saw the glint of Simon's knife, still withdrawn from his belt and stepped forward to intervene. He didn't have a weapon himself, but maybe the size difference between the two of them would be enough for Simon to back down.

Louisa caught his eye and almost imperceptibly shook her head. Then, she moved forward and reached to disarm Simon. He was too quick, though, his reflexes were sharp from his years of training and experience. The scuffle lasted mere seconds, Simon's knife arced in the air and sunk into Louisa's chest. Her dark eyes found Ben's and he watched in shock as they dimmed and closed. 

Simon abruptly pulled out his knife, wiped it clean, and then carelessly shoved Louisa's body out the window Ben had opened originally to help her escape. Horrified, he heard the thud outside as the body hit the ground. 

Before Ben could compose himself, Adrian arrived breathlessly in the doorway. He took in the rumpled appearance of the bedroom, the open window, and the blood drops on the floor and looked questioningly at Ben.

"A woman was here, the old man's daughter," he managed to stammer out. "She surprised me while I was searching the room."

"Idiot forgot to check under the bed and got himself jumped," Simon scoffed, tucking his knife back into his belt. "I took care of it and taught these people a lesson, too." He gestured at the window.

Adrian still looked suspicious, but chose to accept the explanation of events. 

"Alright, let's go then. Everything valuable from downstairs is packed up. Ben, you said there was nothing up here?" 

Ben shook his head, more than ready to get back on the road. He shifted his pack to his back and moved towards the stairs. He made sure to walk carefully as he entered the downstairs room. The pepper powder the man had decided to use still covered the surfaces of the overturned furniture. The place had been thoroughly searched, all drawers and cupboards still open and displaying their meager contents. Most disturbingly, the old man's body was draped across the table where he had been sitting when they entered the home, his throat was cut. No doubt by another slice of Simon's knife. 

Ben sighed and rushed out the door, he couldn't take being in the home for any longer. There were a few villagers out on the streets near the home watching the scene. The children that had been playing were now over by Louisa's body, pushing the hair out of her face and straightening her clothes. Ben averted his eyes from connecting with any of the villagers and hurried towards the path back up the mountain. 

He could hear Simon's voice gloating, "Remember this next time you all think you're being smart. You don't hide things from Caswell."

Ben shivered at his words, the papers in his pack seeming to burn a hole through the fabric. He had never tried to smuggle something into the Spire before and could only hope that he would be able to get back to his room without giving cause for an inspection.

They began their trek back home, their pace a little quicker than it had been for the descent. A little time had been lost due to the unexpected skirmish in Mineral Springs and not even Simon wanted to be caught up in a questioning that could last however long Caswell needed to be satisfied that he knew everything that had transpired. 

Ben reassured himself that as long as they made their return time and dropped off the payment, there shouldn't be any reason to look into their bags or dig into his interaction with Louisa. Caswell wouldn't care about the two deaths in the village, as long as their objective was achieved when it was supposed to be finished, he didn't care much about how it was accomplished. 

Ben knew that Adrian, on the other hand, had plenty of questions for him, but would wait until they reached the relative privacy of the room they shared.

All three of them were breathing hard as they pulled themselves up the last steep uphill section of the trail. As they rounded the last switchback, the tall wooden fence surrounding The Spire loomed above. Adrian paused for a minute to catch his breath, collected the bag that contained the payment from Mineral Springs that the old man had owed and the supplies that he and Simon had stolen from the home, and straightened his clothes and hair. Once presentable, he strode purposefully towards the gate and knocked twice.

The guard monitoring the gate slid open the small window on one of the doors and Ben saw with a sinking feeling that it was Katherine, one of Caswell's most dedicated followers. She was known to never break a rule or cut a corner. She also harbored longtime suspicions over Ben and his inclusion in the Spires. 

Katherine noted Ben, Adrian, and Simon and scanned the surrounding area for any other persons potentially lurking in the trees. Ben tried hard not to roll his eyes. 

Apparently satisfied that they were alone, she slid the window closed and then pulled the lever the opened the heavy doorway that led to their home. Once they were all inside, Katherine pushed the door shut again and then locked it with the heavy key hanging on a chain around her neck. She pulled out the sheet that tracked who was out on assignment and their return times. 

Ben held his breath and tried to look casual and relaxed, and not at all like he was hiding something in his pack. 

"Well, you're a little later than expected," Katherine looked up at them from her paper. Even though there were three of them, her blue eyes were boring into Ben's. They stood almost at the same height, so she didn't have to look up much to meet his eyes. 

Ben stayed quiet and let her continue. He could feel his pack slipping off one of his shoulders, but he didn't dare reach to fix it, not wanting to call any more attention to himself. A small bead of sweat slid down his face. 

Of course Katherine would be the one to ruin this, he thought, just my luck.

"Any issues collecting the payment?" she questioned, still looking at Ben.

"No, it's all here," Adrian jumped in. He knew Katherine's aversion to Ben, she was the member most opposed when Ben's inclusion in the Spire was voted on. "Plus some supplies that we collected from the home."

Katherine looked annoyed that Adrian had answered her questions when they had clearly been addressed to Ben. She busied herself with her tracking sheet, no doubt wracking her brain to find a way to trip Ben up on some aspect of their trip down the mountain.

Ben finally had some good luck when suddenly another knock sounded through the gate, signaling the arrival of another group of Spires. With one last glare, Katherine scratched their names off her sheet, indicating that they were back and successfully completed their assignment.

"Drop the goods off at the Lump," she barked at them before turning back to the window at the gate. Ben smiled to himself, feeling a little bad for whoever had just arrived - interacting with him always put Katherine in a foul mood.

Adrian, Simon, and Ben headed into the Spire, bypassing the uniform stone buildings where they lived to head towards the center square. The Lump was the massive structure that served as both Caswell's home and the treasury that stored all of the money and goods that were brought back from assignments. 

It was appropriately named, carved out of a single massive boulder that, according to legend, had been discovered by the first Caswell and inspired him to begin building out the original group at The Spire.

Once again, they had to wait while yet another guard looked them over and permitted entry into the dimly lit hollowed out interior of the Lump. Ben didn't know this guard, so the process was much smoother and they quickly were pointed in the direction of the treasury.

Once again, Adrian handled the check in procedure and handed over the money to be counted. As the treasury guard calculated that the payment had been made in full, Ben looked around. 

Every time he came into the Lump, he was taken aback by the meticulous detail in the carved halls and archways that featured patterns and symbols that were no doubt important to Caswell's family throughout the generations that lived there. The stone walls were decorated portraits of the family in sturdy wooden frames. There were no windows in the Lump, a security measure that ensured that there was only one way to breach the leader's home, so lanterns were scatted everywhere, casting shadows on the walls.

The treasury guard was apparently satisfied with what they submitted. He added the details to the register and then told Adrian they could go.

Finally finished with the assignment, Ben just had to grab his portion of dinner and then he could get back to his quarters to examine his stash of documents. His heart pounded thinking about what he could be about to discover.


	4. Chapter 3

_Adrian_

Adrian watched as Ben led the way out of the Lump and adjusted his pack for what had to have been at least the tenth time since they had gotten home. He had spent every day with Ben for the past three years and knew when he was hiding something from him. He had no doubt that there was more to what had happened upstairs in Mineral Springs than Ben had shared. 

Luckily for Ben, Adrian had no interest in creating a scene and questioning him with Simon present. Not only did he trust Ben to not do anything that would jeopardize his good standing in The Spire, but he also really didn't care for Simon. There was no reason why he had to use such violence in the scene in Mineral Springs. Adrian didn't really have a problem with killing when it was necessary to complete a job, but the three of them should have been able to more than handle one old man and his half-starved daughter without resorting to that - even when the father had decided to fight back.

Adrian, Ben, and Simon walked as a group out of the main square until they reached the block of buildings where Simon lived. Ben and Adrian were two rows of stone complexes back from the square. 

Simon gave them a wave, "Well this is me. Come join me in the tavern later, I'll be there until shutdown."

Ben looked like he would rather eat nails than have a drink with Simon. Adrian rushed to cover for them.

"Yeah, maybe we'll see you later," he said quickly. He was no more interested in spending any more time with Simon than Ben was, but he knew that Simon's family had been close with Caswell's for a long time, and he needed all the positive connections he could get in the Spires.

"You could have at least pretended to consider having a drink with him," he muttered to Ben when Simon turned away and entered his building.

"No way! I don't know why you even pretend to tolerate him, the guy has problems," Ben replied.

"You know why," he hissed at Ben, suddenly irritated that he was making him even reference why he had to try so much harder than anyone in the Spires to even maintain his place.

To his credit, Ben flushed and looked ashamed. He nodded at Adrian, indicating that yes, he did understand his reasons.

They quickly reached the building where they lived in an apartment with a single room on the top floor. Climbing the three flights of stone stairs to their room, Adrian suddenly felt the fatigue from the day catch up with him. The visit to Mineral Springs had taken him by surprise, he had actually felt sorry for collecting the payment from people that were obviously on the brink of survival. The gaunt figures and defeated attitudes had hit him a little too close to his own past to be comfortable.

He did still have to get to the bottom of Ben's strange behavior, Adrian reminded himself wearily. Hopefully, it would be a quick explanation and then they could grab their dinner portions and head to sleep early.

Ben opened the door to their room and dropped his pack on his bed. The small space had two beds, a small chest of drawers for their permitted clothes and supplies, and a table with two chairs crammed inside. The view from the window more than made up for the cramped surroundings. From an angle, it was possible to see the peak of a neighboring mountain and a bright blue lake, still surrounded by patches of snow. 

It was almost dark outside, so Adrian lit the lantern sitting on their table and then dropped his own pack on top of the chest. He let out one heavy breath, it was time to confront Ben.

"So what are you hiding in your pack?" Adrian asked, straight to the point regarding his suspicions.

By the way Ben whirled around to look at him with wide eyes, Adrian knew he had been correct. He watched as Ben tried to come up with a lie, knowing that he wouldn't be able to. Ben was too honest, whenever he tried to smudge the truth a little, it was painfully obvious. He practically radiated signals that he was a good person, which is why Adrian had put himself out there to save him in the first place when he was found by a group of the Spires. Unfortunately, they weren't the best fit for Ben, and he felt a little bad about dragging him into their enterprise, but at least he was alive.

Ben must have figured out that there was no lie that he could tell that Adrian would believe, so he dropped down onto his bed and unlatched his pack in defeat. He reached in and pulled out a bundle of papers.

"Adrian, you cannot tell anyone about this," Ben said firmly, his brown eyes sober. "Louisa, the woman in Mineral Springs, died for these."

Adrian narrowed his eyes at Ben, secrets were dangerous in the Spire.

"Just show me, Ben. Stop acting so cryptic."

Ben sighed, realizing that he didn't have another choice than to trust Adrian's judgement. He sat down at the table, pulled the lantern over, and gestured for Adrian to join him.

"Louisa was searching for these when I found her upstairs," Ben confessed, pointing at the stack of papers. "When she realized Simon was coming up, she handed them to me and told me to use them to find my family."

Adrian was stunned. He had figured that Ben had found Louisa well before Simon had discovered them, but her words were troubling. Ben's family was dead, he had seen their bodies strewn about the site where they had come across Ben. He had been the only survivor and was left with a wound across the entire back of his head and no memories.

"I know," Ben recognized his surprise. "I have no idea what she meant, I hope she didn't expect me to recognize her. Maybe these papers have some clues that I will somehow understand."

Ben's voice sounded despondent already. Most of the time he was almost annoyingly cheerful and positive, but there had been a few times where he allowed his frustrations with his memory loss to come through.

"Let's take a look then," Adrian said with a small smile, hoping to lighten Ben's mood a little.

Ben flashed a smile back, eyes back to their normal warmth, and started going through the pile. It turned out to only contain three separate documents. One was a sheet that contained what looked like a set of instructions, another was a folded map that spread out over much of their table, and the last one was a drawing that made Adrian gasp out loud when he saw it.

Their room in the Spire didn't have a mirror, so Ben's had only a rough idea of his features, caught in the reflection of a pool of water from time to time. However, Adrian had seen his face every day for the last three years. And now he saw it again drawn out clearly on the third sheet of paper on their table.

The picture was done in color, and although clearly many years old, was still clear and vibrant. It was obvious care had been taken to preserve the image of the two men. It had been precious. 

"That's the old man, Louisa's father!" Ben exclaimed, recognizing the shorter of the two men. He was right, it was clearly a younger version of the old man. He had the same large brown eyes and wild, curly black hair. He was wearing a huge smile and his arm was thrown over the other man's shoulders.

If Ben recognized his own similarity to the other man in the picture, he didn't show it. Adrian drew in a deep breath.

"Ben, that other man," he gestured to the picture, "he looks exactly like you."

It was impossible to tell the man's height from the drawing, but standing next to the first man, it was evident to Adrian that the Ben in the picture was tall and broad just like the version of Ben sitting next to him. The had the same almond shaped brown eyes, olive skin, and strong nose. Even their haircuts were the same, straight dark brown hair falling across their foreheads in the exact same manner.

An idea struck him, and Adrian got up abruptly from the table and dropped to his knees to reach under his bed. He had a metal bucket that they sometimes used to store water in their room when they were at risk of being trapped in their building from snow. The silver metal was slightly tarnished, but still shiny enough for Ben to get a sense of how similar he looked to the man in the picture.

He held the upside down bucket out to Ben and motioned for him to view his reflection in the flat surface of the bottom. Ben glanced down and sharply inhaled. 

"Do you think it's possible this is me?" he asked Adrian tentatively.

Adrian had considered that possibility when he first saw the image. When they recognized the other man, though, he realized that it would have been impossible for that to have literally been Ben in the picture with him. At least fifty years had passed since the old man they met in Mineral Springs had looked like the depiction of him in the drawing.

"I don't think so," Adrian responded. "I think this had to have been drawn many years ago, judging by the age of Louisa's father."

He flipped over the drawing. There was an inscription on the back that read "Jean and Saul" that confirmed his conclusion.

Ben looked relieved when Adrian pointed out the label. It wasn't clear which man corresponded to which name, but at least neither of them were Ben.

"Maybe your family was from Mineral Springs?" Adrian asked Ben. It was the only reasonable conclusion.

Ben scrubbed a hand down his face, frustrated at his lack of knowledge about himself or his family. 

"Nobody has ever recognized me there before, though," he said. "And you found me all the way over by Lake Gota. The cart that was nearby was filled with expensive cloths and spices, not rocks or gemstones like miners from Mineral Springs would have. None of this makes any sense."

Adrian nodded, Ben was right. The clues of Ben's past didn't align with him and his family traveling from Mineral Springs. He sat back down at the table and pulled the other two papers closer to study them.

The larger one was clearly a map and was very old, as well. All of Multan was drawn in stunning detail, all the way down to Port of Gold and the southern islands. Adrian had never seen the Caorca Split actually drawn out before, but he recognized it from the legends and stories that had made their way all the way north to the Spire. And beyond the massive canyon was a new land mass that had a city labeled and an inscription that read "For you, who deserves more". 

Both Adrian and Ben were speechless. It looked like a map to a treasure, like something out of the stories Adrian had been told when he was a boy, but he didn't want to say that immature comparison out loud.

Ben tried to summarize, "Ok, so we have a photo with a man who I must be related to somehow and a map that goes further south than any map I've ever seen or heard about. What is the third paper?"

Adrian pulled it over into the light cast by the lantern. It was completely dark outside now. The Spire must have stopped serving dinner portions some time ago, because the only sounds coming through the window in their room were coming from the direction of the tavern. 

The third sheet of paper was smaller than the map and was full of neat rows of text. Unfortunately, the ability to read was not common in the Spire, and Adrian couldn't even tell if it was in their language. Helplessly, he looked over to Ben to explain that they wouldn't be getting any useful information out of this clue.

"I can read this," Ben blurted out, surprising them both. "I didn't even know I could read, but I can understand all of this text."

Jealousy suddenly formed a tight coil in Adrian's stomach that he fought to push down. Logically, he knew that Ben would be thrilled to help him learn the skill if he wanted, but he knew he would never show the vulnerability required to ask his friend for lessons.

Ben finished scanning the contents of the page.

"It's instructions on how to cross the Caorca Split," he said, completely amazed. "It says there's a city there where everyone contributes and is provided for. It says they have inventions there that make it possible for everyone to live comfortably."

Adrian was doubtful, but he couldn't help filling in some gaps in the story.

"These papers must have been what Louisa's dad was trying to keep from us. I knew it was strange that he decided to go after us as soon as we started going through the cupboards."

Ben nodded enthusiastically and Adrian could see his excitement rising. 

"Louisa clearly recognized that I looked like her dad's friend in the drawing that came with the map and instructions. That's why she felt so strongly that she had to give them to me!"

Adrian had to admit that it did make sense. 

"Do you think she meant my family is in this city?" Ben's voice was strikingly vulnerable. Adrian knew that Ben longed for both an escape from life in the Spire and the chance that he could still have surviving family. This all seemed a little too convenient to be true.

"I don't know," Adrian replied honestly. 

"Louisa seemed certain. She was determined that I take this information and that I keep it a secret from anyone else," Ben replied. 

"We cannot let Caswell see this," Ben's voice was suddenly frantic. "If there is a chance that it's all true and I do have family living in this city, we cannot let him know about it. All he will see is that there's treasure there for the taking. Adrian, please don't go to him with this."

A small part of Adrian was torn and wanted to snatch the papers from Ben's hands and run them to the Lump. Delivering information like this would prove that he was loyal to the Spires and was smart enough to recognize new opportunities for expansion. Finally, he would maybe be trusted to go on a legitimate assignment, instead of the slimy enforcement jobs he was always given.

One look at Ben's face squashed his ambitions. He couldn't betray Ben, especially not when it had to do with a potential lifeline to his family and his past.

"I won't," he reassured him. "But you had better not try to discuss this with me anywhere other than in this room. The Spires have listeners everywhere. And find a good hiding place for it."

Ben gave him a glowing smile and went back to reading the paper with the instructions on how to cross Caorca. Adrian knew he would want to discuss it all night with him, but he needed to sleep and come back at it with a clear head in the morning. They didn't have another assignment scheduled yet, so they would have plenty of time to spend figuring out if there was any truth to the tale weaved by bundle of papers that had just tossed their lives upside down.

Adrian laid down on his bed, appreciative as ever of the hard mattress and thin blankets he claimed as his own. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was Ben still poring over the map, no doubt hoping that it would lead to his future.


	5. Chapter 4

_Ben_

Ben stood by the window and watched the sun rise over the tops of the jagged rock peaks surrounding the Spire. He hadn't slept at all that night, even when he had examined the map and directions so long that they were memorized he couldn't get his thoughts to stop spinning long enough to get some rest.

The Spire was still quiet at this time of day, breakfast portions wouldn't start to be dispersed for a least another hour, so the only sound to keep him company was Adrian's soft breathing from his side of the room. Ben looked over at the bed, waiting impatiently for him to start stirring. He was almost bursting to share his conclusions and a little nervous about telling Adrian his plans.

Adrian was still deep asleep, so Ben turned back to the window to look out at his home of the past three years. It was unfortunately the only home he had any memories of. After he had finished studying the materials Louisa had given him, he knew in his heart that he had to see if there was any truth to what the map had posited. He had to see if there was more out there for him than wasting his life working for Caswell. And if Louisa was right, he belonged in this place called Culmination, his family could even be waiting for him there.

The only thing he had to lose was Adrian, which was why he was so anxious for him to get out of bed. He was determined to convince him to join in this adventure.

Ben couldn't stand it anymore and decided to just wake Adrian up himself. He would probably be annoyed, he liked to sleep for as long as possible on their days off, but Ben figured if there was ever a reason to wake up early, this was it. Anyway, he had left him alone all night, Ben told himself, a little righteously.

Honey-colored eyes flashed open in alarm the second Ben touched his shoulder. Ben was used to it, Adrian always woke up abruptly, no doubt a habit from his days before becoming an official Spire member. As always, the panic faded quickly. This morning, it was replaced by irritation when Adrian saw the reason he was out of bed so early.

"What?" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "You couldn't wait any longer?"

Adrian was sharp, even when first awake, and had immediately figured out why Ben was so eager to interact. 

"No!" Ben exclaimed. "I need to tell you what I've decided!"

"What you've decided?" Adrian replied, pushing his long curls away from his face. He still looked annoyed for another moment, but then after taking in Ben's excitement, waved a hand in defeat and gave a small sigh.

"Well, out with it then," he said with a smile. "Just remember to keep your voice down."

Ben grinned and lifted one of the chairs over to the bed, placing it so that he could sit facing Adrian.

"So, I studied the directions and the map last night for so long that I can probably re-create them myself," he decided to be direct, "The route they describe to get across the Caorca Split sounds possible. I'm going to try and go there."

"Mmhmm," Adrian nodded slowly, looking at Ben as if he had grown another head.

"So let's see if I have this right," he said after a moment, "You've decided that you're going to somehow escape the Spire without Caswell noticing and coming after you, make your way across Multan, none of which you've crossed alone before, get into Port of Gold, where they don't admit any outsiders without invitation, cross the southern sea, and follow these directions to get across a massive gorge, which no one has ever done before. Does that accurately summarize the plan you made last night based on a few scraps of paper that a woman you didn't know gave to you?"

Adrian wasn't prone to yelling, but Ben knew him well enough to detect the anger underneath his sarcastic words, most likely due to the years Adrian had put into risking his own position to make sure Ben stayed alive and employed by Caswell, only to have him throw it away on what had to seem to him like a suicide mission. Ben understood Adrian well and absolutely respected his advice and judgement. However, in his heart, he knew this journey was one he had to take.

"Well, see that's the thing," Ben tried to continue sounding confident, "I'm hoping not to be alone. Adrian, I really want you to come with me."

He stopped himself from adding that he thought it would be good for Adrian to get out of the Spire and from under Caswell's thumb. 

"Oh, you do?" Adrian said, taken by surprise. "And why do you think I would ever consider that? Ben, you need to get some sleep, you'll see sense when you get some rest."

Adrian stood up and went to their shared chest of drawers to pull out a fresh set of clothes. Ben stood as well and used his larger frame to block Adrian from exiting their room. He had never done this sort of action before and Adrian looked up at him, a warning flashing in his eyes. 

Ben raised his hands in supplication.

"Hear me out," he said quietly, aware they were very near the hallway where their neighbors could be walking. "Adrian, I have to do this, I know I have to. If there's even a chance that I have family still out there, maybe they would know me, maybe they could help me make sense of myself and who I'm supposed to be. I appreciate everything that you've done to help me fit in here, but it's just not my place. These assignments, I feel like each one takes another piece of me. I have to get out before, I lose whatever it is that I know about myself."

Hearing the emotion in Ben's voice, Adrian's eyes softened and his posture relaxed.

"I know that," he almost mumbled. "Here, come away from the door."

The two of them moved back to the table where they had excitedly examined the papers the night before, not knowing the impact the information would have. Ben could see that Adrian had more he wanted to say, so he stayed silent until he began.

"I've known for years that you wouldn't be a lifer in the Spires, like the rest of us." Adrian's voice was tinged with sadness. "Really, ever since you recovered and I got to actually know you. You didn't like the work and you had no reason to want to do it, but it was the only way to make sure you had a place to live and food to eat. But, if you want to go, I understand that, and I'll do whatever I can to help you prepare for the outside and cover for you in here."

Ben beamed at him. Knowing he had Adrian's support was crucial for him to be courageous enough to actually follow through. And his knowledge of traveling around Multan would be extremely important for getting to Port of Gold from the Spire.

"Thank you," Ben said sincerely. "But there is one thing. Adrian, I'm serious about you coming with me."

At Adrian's suspicious look, Ben plowed on to try and convince him. 

"Not just because I need help getting across Multan," he quickly explained. "If this place, Culmination, is real and they way it's described in these papers, it's a place where everyone can get a new start. I think that's worth the risk for you."

Ben knew that it was a risk bring up Adrian's past, but he truly believed his best friend was better than the person that the Spire had made him into. 

Sure enough, Adrian's eyes narrowed in anger and his voice was tightly controlled when he responded, "This is not an argument, Ben. My place is here. I will help you plan your journey out and get you some gear for the trip, but that's where it ends for me. I don't want to discuss anything more about it now and I'm going to get my meal portion."

Ben stepped aside from the door and let Adrian exit their room. He understood that he had pushed the subject as far as he could at the moment, he would get no further with Adrian when he was in this mood. At that moment, Ben's stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he had missed dinner last night and that he really should take advantage of food distribution before it shut down for the morning. 

He rushed out the door, shutting it with a slam behind him, and jogged a little to catch up with Adrian. Bumping his shoulder lightly, Ben chanced, "Can I join you?"

Adrian looked up at Ben and couldn't help but return his smile and nod, any tension evaporating. They rushed to the end of the food line, and Ben winced when he saw that the ladles were already scraping the sides and bottoms of the large pots of porridge that held the morning meal. Once those pots were gone, there would be no food for the rest of the morning. 

Trying to distract himself as they waited in the silent line of other Spire workers, Ben eyed the two slaves who were manning the pots. From his experience, most places in Multan didn't even have slaves anymore, the practice dying out over time, but the Spire still held onto it. Unfortunate children or individuals who had gotten themselves in some sort of trouble were sold to Caswell, starting with the original, who in turn made them complete the jobs around their community that actual Spires wouldn't be tasked to do. Most didn't last long in the mountain weather and under the brutal treatment they received and only Caswell and a handful of other top Spires were allowed to interact with them. 

Obviously, Ben was not one of those who were approved. He kept his eyes on the bowl he was served, feeling guilty that he was so preoccupied with his portion after only skipping one meal. Now was not the time to bring attention to himself by acting in any way abnormal from the code of conduct the Spires followed, he had to remind himself as he received his breakfast and moved away to find a place to sit in the square, Adrian following stiffly behind him.

Ben found an open stone bench that was lit by a small beam of sun. He sat and tilted his face up to enjoy the warmth. The weather had just turned warm enough to enjoy meals outside and he enjoyed soaking it up for the small window of time that it would last before the colder winds moved in. The square was also largely deserted, it was the most crowded at the beginning of the breakfast meal time, which suited Ben. 

Ben and Adrian had almost finished their meal when they heard footsteps clicking behind them on the rock floor. Sighing heavily, Ben turned around to see who was disrupting the small moment of peace he was having. It was Katherine. Of course, Ben thought and couldn't help a scowl.

"Morning, Adrian. Ben." She looked him up and down, as if suspicious that he could become a threat to her at any minute.

Adrian greeted her in his professional voice, but Ben just grunted in response. He was just acting normally, he thought to himself, when she gave him a glare in return.

Katherine ran a hand over her blonde hair to smooth imaginary flaws in her tight bun and cleared her throat before continuing. 

"If you both are finished here, you're needed in the Lump. Caswell would like to see you and he says it is quite urgent."

Katherine gave Ben a parting look before she turned on her heel and marched away back across the square. 

Ben couldn't be sure if he was imagining things, but he thought he saw a pleased look in her eyes, as she called over her shoulder, "I would hurry."

All he knew was if Katherine was happy about something, he shouldn't be.


	6. Chapter 5

_Adrian_

Adrian was both nervous and excited as he and Ben hurriedly crossed the square to enter the Lump for their meeting with Caswell. Even though he knew it was unlikely that Caswell had already found out about their secret, the leader of their gang had eyes everywhere in the Spire, so anything was possible. It was more likely that they were getting another assignment, even considering Katherine's stern attitude. Even three years later of perfectly executed assignments, she still was annoyingly skeptical of Ben and loved to intimidate him when she had the chance. 

Adrian tried not to let himself get carried away, but if Caswell was delivering the assignment to them directly, it had to be a step up from their usual jobs collecting past due payments or intercepting a merchant's wagon. In the five years that he had been promoted to an official Spire, he had painstakingly proven himself to be reliable and in possession of a shrewd strategic mind. All in the hopes of becoming a real player within the Spires, respected and trusted enough to take on real jobs, like negotiating terms with the wealthy merchant men and women of the major port cities. 

It was time, Adrian told himself to bolster his confidence, any other Spire who had delivered results like his would have been given these responsibilities already.

The two of them reached the doors to the Lump and once again stated their names and purpose to the guard on duty. This time, they were escorted up the finely carved stone staircase to the second floor, where Caswell's office and residence quarters were located. Adrian was familiar enough with the layout of the halls and rooms of this level to navigate with his eyes closed, but he allowed himself to be directed by the guard to the large set of wooden double doors that closed off the library and office. 

The guard lifted and released the heavy metal ring on the door a single time to indicate their arrival, then turned without a word and strode back down the hallway to return to his post. Ben was nervously shifting around as they waited, adjusting his arms and obviously trying to appear casual - no doubt thinking that they were about to be confronted about the Mineral Springs assignment. 

"Stop it," Adrian hissed at him in a rush as they waited to be permitted entry. "If he suspected anything, we would have been dragged here and our room sacked. We're here to get a new job."

Ben's posture visibly relaxed as he processed Adrian's words, and not a moment too soon. The tall wooden doors parted and revealed Caswell's lanky silhouette. 

"Adrian, come in!" he exclaimed, as if surprised to see them there. "Ben, you too, get on in here," he added.

Adrian ignored Ben's perplexed expression and prodded him to enter the office. He added a sharp jab to his side that he hoped would prompt Ben to wipe face clean of any emotion. This was Ben's first time dealing with Caswell's eccentricity at a personal scale, and it would be detrimental to his plans to leave the Spire if he caught any negative attention. Ben seemed to pick up on his message and smoothed his features into a professional appearance.

At Caswell's gesture, Adrian and Ben seated themselves in the two heavily padded chairs that sat across from the large stone desk carved into the center of the room. Rich, colorful woven hangings covered the stone walls and featured the portraits of leaders who had controlled the Spire since its inception. Directly behind the desk was a polished rock statue of the first Caswell, permanently looming over and glaring at the room's occupants. 

Caswell sat himself behind his desk and folded his hands on the surface. His bright green eyes bored into Adrian's as he suddenly broke the silence.

"Return to the pens, you may finish later."

Ben shot Adrian a confused look, waiting for his more experienced direction. Adrian's heart pounded as he frantically tried to make sense of Caswell's order. A small noise from the corner of the room saved him from making a wrong move. As Adrian turned to locate its source, he saw a young woman about his own age replace the ornate glass ornament she was dusting and slink out of the doors without a word. 

He recognized her as a slave and returned his gaze to Caswell, whose eyes were now sparkling with amusement. Hot anger pulsed through his body and knotted his stomach. This was clearly an intentional way to remind him of his place in the Spire, but it was cruel and unnecessary. Adrian fought to keep his features calm and unaffected. 

Ben had understood the game as well and Adrian could feel the sadness and concern radiating off him. The cavernous room suddenly felt small, hot, and suffocating as he waited uncomfortably for Caswell to speak again. Just when Adrian was about to give up on his ability to remain obedient and respectful, Caswell thankfully continued. 

"So I've heard you two have developed quite the partnership," he said smoothly, giving away nothing. "You deliver very reliable results. No mistakes in, I want to say, almost three years? That calls for a congratulations."

Ben stayed silent and let Adrian do the talking.

"Thank you, sir. We work well together."

Caswell's green eyes glinted dangerously and Adrian's stomach gave another twist.

"I'd say so," a smile slid across his face. "And Ben, would you say you've developed a friendship here as well? I know it must have been difficult to adjust to life here in the Spire."

Ben looked stunned at being addressed directly for the first time. His mouth opened and then after a pause, closed.

Adrian cut in to try and divert Caswell's attention, "We have, and Ben's made friends with many..."

"Stop," Caswell glared at him. "I asked Ben."

Ben cleared his throat. "I've enjoyed getting to know everyone here, sir, and I enjoy the work," he lied. "Adrian's great at leading the assignments."

Adrian felt warm gratitude towards Ben. Even if he was planning on imminently leaving the Spire, he was still trying to help Adrian where he could. Between Caswell's praise and Ben's feedback, he was becoming increasingly hopeful that he would leave this meeting with a prime assignment. 

Caswell nodded, and rested his head on his folded hands, as if deep in thought.

"You know, Ben, Adrian and I were once great friends, as well, when we were children. I used to convince him to play all sorts of those strategy-type games, and he used to beat me pretty often," Caswell reminisced. 

"Until my father caught us anyway. Then, he would be the one getting beaten," he laughed and finished meanly.

Adrian squirmed in his chair, suddenly unsure of the direction the meeting would take from here.

Ben's face was tense as he tried and and failed to hide his horror and mimic Caswell's amusement.

Caswell stood up and walked around to stand between the chairs Adrian and Ben were now nervously occupying. He rested one hand in Adrian's curls and crouched down so he was at their eye level. 

"Ben, I've decided that you will work with a new assignment partner."

Shocked, Adrian whirled towards Caswell, only to be stopped by the firm grip in his hair. It was unclear to him if this was good news for his advancement or very bad.

Before he could say anything, Ben blurted, "Sir, I would happily accept a new partner to support Adrian's promotion. Although, if I kept working with him, I could learn from his new responsibilities and one day hope to earn the same."

Adrian was impressed with the diplomacy in Ben's hasty statement. Working with a new partner would be a death sentence to Ben's plan to leave the Spire, but he was successfully hiding the desperation he surely felt to continue their arrangement.

Caswell finally released Adrian's hair and moved to sit atop of his desk, facing them. 

"New responsibilities?" he questioned. "I doubt you'd like to learn anything about how to clean an office or polish tableware." 

Adrian's heart plummeted, recognizing his previous tasks in the Lump. His mind raced, he had to say something.

"Caswell, sir, I remember what you did for me and I am thankful every day," he choked out, hoping his genuine appreciation would end this track of conversation.

Caswell stood again and moved to gently touch Adrian's knee. 

"I know you are," he said in a voice he clearly intended to be soothing. "And you did so well."

Adrian raised his eyes to meet Caswell, sensing the decision that was about to be laid down and trying to plead with him to change it. 

Caswell's green eyes met his and hardened as he pronounced his fate, "However, I have need of your skills here in the Lump. You will return to your previous position and will serve me personally."

Adrian's vision went black in that moment, all of his hopes and dreams suddenly disappearing. Back to his previous position, returned to slavery. Nothing more than a servant silently attending to Caswell.

He vaguely heard Ben and Caswell's voices through the roaring in his ears, arguing about his place in the Spire. Part of Adrian wanted to intervene and rescue Ben from ruining his own reputation, but the larger part of him was angry and betrayed with the conviction Caswell had nonchalantly handed him. Rage fueled his body as he stood up suddenly, knocking his chair to the ground with a loud clatter.

"I will not go back as a slave, Caswell," he snarled. "My results speak for themselves, anyone else would be promoted."

Caswell stood again and his lanky frame loomed over Adrian. He grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly.

"You will do as I say, like you always have. If not, I will make sure Ben here never sees the outside of the Lump again. You just tell me your choice, the guards are ready."

Adrian glared up at Caswell as she shook loose from his grip. The choice that he was presented with wasn't a choice at all, he would never sentence Ben to a lifetime within these stone walls. 

But he didn't have to accept his fate quietly. Adrian lifted his overturned chair, turned, and threw it at the display of glass ornaments that the young woman had been dusting when they originally had entered the room. The wood shelving shook and fell to the floor with the force of the impact, tossing all of the decorations to the floor with a loud clamor. 

At the sight of the broken glass scattered across the rock, Adrian turned to Caswell and growled, "I will do as you say."

"Sir," Caswell reminded him with a sneer. 

Ben had stood as well during the commotion and Adrian grabbed his arm to direct him out of the office. They had almost reached the exit to the room when Caswell's voice rang out again.

"You can clean this up tomorrow, Adrian. Report here with all of your belongings at sunrise."


	7. Chapter 6

_Ben_

Ben was in a state of shock as he followed behind Adrian furiously storming out of the Lump. Out of all the scenarios he had worried over leading up to the meeting, he never could have imaged this outcome. He desperately wanted to stop Adrian and reassure him, but he had no words to that would ease the pain of his worst nightmare coming to life. All he could do was continue to trail his friend as he continued striding angrily across the square and directly to the tavern.

Oddly enough in their tightly controlled existence in the Spire, the tavern was the only place that served drinks throughout the day. Ben had long suspected that it was another of Caswell's ploys to keep his followers docile and not in a state to plot to leave or usurp their leader.

Adrian marched up to the front counter, muttered to the barkeeper, and received a glass of dark-brown liquid. From there, he went straight to the back corner of the tavern, where he plopped down at a table and immediately drained half of the contents of his glass.

Ben winced and grabbed some water from the bar before making his way to the table. Adrian was holding his head in his hands by now and didn't look up as Ben joined him. Ben cleared his throat and sipped his water, trying to figure out how he could break the silence.

"Maybe he'll change his mind," he offered weakly.

Adrian lifted his head and Ben could see the red rims around his eyes. After a minute, he finally replied, "The only thing I want to do right now is drink myself blind. End of conversation, Ben."

Finished with his statement, Adrian drained the rest of his drink and stalked back to the counter to retrieve another. Ben was concerned, he had never seen Adrian drink before as he was adamant about always maintaining a professional reputation, but he supposed that no longer mattered much to him. 

Adrian returned to their table and Ben continued to sip his water and provide silent company as he went through several more rounds. They were the only ones at the tavern at the early hour and the barkeeper was watching them suspiciously. Ben halfheartedly joked with him about women troubles to hopefully diffuse his attention when he went back for his own refill.

After the fourth glass of liquor, Adrian was visibly tiring and struggled to keep his feet as he tried to return to the bar. 

"I think you should go home, man. Get some sleep if you have the day off," the man behind the counter gently suggested.

Adrian looked like he was about to argue, so Ben quickly jumped in.

"We just got back last night from Mineral Springs, we'll get back to our room in a minute. He can sleep it off there," he reassured the barkeeper. The last thing they needed was anyone deciding to escort them to their quarters. Ben had foolishly left his bundle of papers folded atop the table. He cursed himself and grabbed Adrian's upper arm to encourage him to head towards home.

Wrong move. Adrian whipped around towards him and pulled at his arm to get Ben to release it.

"I'll go home when I'm ready," he hissed. "I do still get to make some decisions for myself. For today anyway," he added bitterly.

The barkeeper moved to come around to the front of the counter to intervene. Fighting among the Spires was strictly forbidden, aggression was reserved for their enemies or victims.

Ben cursed softly and tried to reach for Adrian again to show that he was capable of handling the situation. Luckily, at that moment, Adrian's stomach rebelled and spilled its contents all over the wooden floor of the tavern.

"Ah, man, you need to get him out of here," the barkeeper wrinkled his nose and moved back away from the mess. 

Getting sick seemed to take all of the fight out of Adrian and he allowed Ben to steer him through the door of the tavern. He even leaned his slight figure against him as Ben directed them back home. With some effort, he navigated the two of them up the narrow staircase and through their doorway. Finally, he got Adrian into his bed, where he promptly fell asleep.

Sighing, Ben sat himself down at their table and ran his hands through his hair. Caswell's declaration had also caused problems for his own plan. If he was saddled with a new partner, there was no way that he would be able to make and execute a plan to leave the Spire. Grimacing, he thought through the unpartnered possibilities that he could be paired with. He groaned and swore aloud as he realized that both Simon and Katherine were two of the possibilities. 

Ben realized there was no other option. Somehow, he would have to leave that night. He glanced at Adrian, who was breathing heavily in his sleep. It would have been helpful if he was actually awake and alert enough to discuss this through with him. He hadn't risked mentioning it in the tavern, but there was still the option for Adrian to leave with him and change his fate. Ben thought now that his chances of convincing him were actually pretty good and smiled at one positive result of the morning's meeting.

While he waited for Adrian to stir, Ben pulled out the map and directions again. The instructions left the user to find their own way through Port of Gold and began at how to cross the Caorca Split. According to the writer, one of the waterfalls that cascaded into the gorge from the southern sea hid a staircase that wound down the side of one of the canyon walls. At the bottom, there was a bridge that could be assembled to cross the river and another path up the other side of the split carved into the rock. From there, the directions stated that it was only another day's journey to get to Culmination.

Ben turned to the map to study the parts of Multan they would have to cross to get to Port of Gold. The most direct route appeared to be using Port Melanson to find passage on a ferry across the massive lake in the center of the country. Ben couldn't help the small surge of excitement as he thought about the journey. Even if the trip ended without finding Culmination or his family, he was going to have the opportunity to do things and see places he had only dreamed about since waking up with a blank slate three years ago.

After some time, Ben heard movement and a miserable groan coming from Adrian's side of their room. He turned to look as Adrian sat up and rubbed his head, looking miserable.

"Thanks for getting me back here," Adrian mumbled hoarsely.

"Of course," Ben responded with a grin. "How are you feeling now?"

"Awful. Not all of it from the drinking, though," Adrian's voice was filled with sadness.

"Well, we missed the midday meal portion, but dinner is in just a couple of hours. Food should help some," Ben said helpfully, trying to be cheerful. He had experienced several of his own sick days as a result of overdoing it at the tavern. 

Adrian just nodded and tried to tame his disheveled curls. 

After a moment, Ben decided it was safe to try and broach the real topic he wanted to discuss.

"Listen, I've been thinking," he spit out quickly. "I think it makes real sense for you to consider a fresh start outside of the Spire. And we have all the tools we need to - "

Adrian stopped him as he abruptly stood up from his bed and gave him an annoyed glare. Ben's heart sank and he chastised himself, he should have known better than to ambush Adrian with this decision, but he didn't have much time.

To his surprise, he watched as Adrian moved towards the table, plopped down in the chair facing Ben, and pulled the map over where he could see it. 

"I'm coming with you," he declared. "I don't need you to try and convince me, I decided I was leaving the minute we left the Lump."

A wide grin spread across Ben's face and his elation returned. 

"Yes!" he couldn't help but exclaim. "Adrian, this is absolutely the right choice, I just know that you're going to have a better life outside of here," he couldn't help blurting out his enthusiasm in a rush.

For once, Adrian didn't shut down at the mention of his life and future. He returned Ben's smile and tentatively said, "I hope so. I mean it can't be worse than moving backwards, right?"

Ben nodded happily and continued, "So from what I can determine, our biggest problem is going to be getting into Port of Gold and finding transportation across the sea. Other than that, the steps are pretty straightforward." 

He walked Adrian through the steps that were described to cross Caorca, using the map to illustrate. 

"You're right," Adrian agreed when he was finished taking in Ben's presentation. "I've been to Port Melanson before and it's not difficult to find passage on one of the cargo ships that cross the lake in exchange for some labor. I think our best move is to go there first and use it as a base to stock up on supplies for the rest of the trip to Port of Gold. I'm not sure how much food we're going to be able to get out of here with."

Ben nodded, thrilled to have Adrian's experienced help. "Any ideas of how we can get into Port of Gold? They don't let any outsiders in the gates," he questioned.

Adrian thought for a minute, rubbing his eyes with his fingers in concentration. 

"Ok, what do you think about this?" Adrian always used Ben to test and work through the details of his ideas to complete their Spire assignments. "Caswell has kept up the tradition of skimming the very best stones that come from the mines from the trading shipments. By now, he has to have over a hundred stones of a quality that can't be found anywhere else in Multan. If we have just a handful of those, I would bet that Port of Gold would be interested."

Ben slowly nodded, absorbing Adrian's words. "That makes sense, I'm sure they'd be interested in luring away potential big business from Port of Melanson."

"Exactly. And I think the quality of the stones and the Spire marks on our hands will give us enough credibility to get in the gates. From there, we can negotiate transport to the islands."

"Wouldn't we be risking Caswell sending a team after us when he realizes he's missing some of his personal treasure?" Ben didn't relish the idea of the two of them racing through Multan with Spires on their heels.

"It's a risk, but I'm not confident that Caswell would even notice that any stones were missing for at least a little while. Anyway, we need to assume that he's going to send people after us either way. Spires don't leave him, he's going to be furious," Adrian grinned at the thought.

Fear slithered down Ben's spine. He hadn't considered that Caswell would try to chase them down out of principle. 

"Ok, I agree, we'll just have to hurry to get through Multan to Port of Gold. Caswell shouldn't be able to find us once we're in there, right?"

"Right, they have no need to interact with a mountain tyrant who is unwilling to offer them anything. I know Caswell and he would consider it an insult to ask them for help with his own people. Once we're in Port of Gold, we should be safe from him," Adrian sounded sure, which gave Ben relief.

"I like it," Ben was eager to see the gates of the Spire behind him one last time. There was only one part of the plan that he couldn't understand. 

"So how do we get these jewels from Caswell?"

The smile on Adrian's face widened and his eyes were mischievous. "You just leave that part to me."


End file.
